


call me, maybe?

by frozensight



Series: a whole new world (literally) [1]
Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4433054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozensight/pseuds/frozensight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike Ross is long past believing in the reality of a Prince Charming or Mr. Right, but there’s no harm in admiring fellow subway patrons who’re nice to his son, is there?</p>
            </blockquote>





	call me, maybe?

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: i'm on the bus and my 2-year-old won’t stop crying, except you just smiled at them and they did

"Come on, Kev," pleads Mike, bouncing his son on his knee, attempting to ignore all the irritated and impatient looks of his fellow public transportation patrons. Meanwhile, Kevin keeps crying, unaware and uncaring about the attention being drawn to them because nothing compares to the agony of a two year old who's been denied a trip to the zoo. Mike sighs, and hopes that the headache forming at his temples holds off until they're at least at their apartment. "We'll still go, buddy; we just can't go today." 

"No!" yells Kevin in between sobs, and Mike curses the weather with every fiber of his being for ruining this day and his child's mood. "Wanna see lions!" 

Mike opens his mouth to spout more uselessly pacifying things to his son, but is interrupted by the man sitting across from them on the subway. "The lions aren't going anywhere, kid." Instinct calls on Mike to get huffy, to defend Kevin's right to think that the rain really will wash away the lions and the other animals if he wants, but he's shocked when the man's tone isn't condescending at all. Rather, it's amused and apparently more placating than Mike's because Kevin's quieted down some. 

"But, but Daddy says cats don't like water." 

The man glances over at Mike, who's fumbling for words, and then turns back to Kevin. "Sure, they don't _like_ water, but it doesn't hurt them any." 

"It sounds like it does when we give Hank a bath." Kevin's cries have lessened to sniffles, and Mike can already tell the tension surrounding him and Kevin has lessened. 

Clearly wanting to laugh at the name of their cat—which had actually been Mike's doing, not Kevin's, Mike is incredibly grateful when the man doesn't ask. Instead he smiles widely at them—well, Kevin—and says, "I'm sure it does, but that's just because cats are drama queens. It doesn't hurt them anymore than it hurts you, kid." 

Against all odds, Kevin beams brightly back at him. "Water doesn't hurt me at all!" 

"Then it doesn't hurt the cats either, does it?" 

Kevin thinks about it for a second and then chirps back, "Nope!" He looks up at Mike, wiping the tears and snot from his face with his shirt sleeve, and it says a lot for how used to this Mike is when he doesn't even wince. "Can we watch Lion King, Daddy?" 

Relief over the crisis being averted outweighs Mike's reluctance to watch the Lion King for the second time that day—the tenth that week. "Sure thing, bud." 

"Yay!" Now that he's (mostly) forgotten about the failed zoo trip, Kevin's redirected his energy into excitement about watching his favorite movie again. 

Over the head of his son, Mike mouths 'thank you' at the other man, who he now sees is wearing an incredibly sharp suit and looks a little out of place on the subway in general. The man grins at him and shakes his head. 'No problem,' he mouths back, returning to his newspaper, which is the only thing he's carrying with him. Mike wants to ask if he can pay him back somehow, like with coffee or lunch or dinner or _something_ , but before he can open his mouth to actually address the man, the subway is stopping and the man's standing up because it's his stop. 

"See you around, Kevin," the man says, ruffling Kevin's hair on his way out, and Mike finds himself helplessly watching him leave. 

"Bye mister!" calls out Kevin, way after the man's back passes through the subway doors and into the sea of people on the platform. 

Mike sighs because that's life, isn’t it? You find an attractive guy on the subway who's decent with your kid, and then he disappears into the anonymity that is New York City. Shaking his head, Mike focuses on Kevin, intent on asking whether he wants chicken nuggets or mac and cheese for lunch, when he realizes there's something in his son's hands. "What's that you got there, Kev?" 

"He gave it to me!" Kevin declares proudly, handing over the small card when Mike asks for it. "What's it say, Daddy?" 

"Harvey Specter, Senior Partner at Pearson-Hardman." 

Kevin's face furrows as he tries to understand. "What's it mean?" 

Grinning, he looks back out the subway window, even though they're moving again and all he can see it blurry concrete. Mike replies, "It means that Jenny might be babysitting sometime soon." 


End file.
